


Lessons in Horticulture

by daretorarepair



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Maybe A Little Plot, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Pre and Post Timeskip
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2020-01-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:41:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22028734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daretorarepair/pseuds/daretorarepair
Summary: First play through Dedue turned out to be my accidental favorite and I’ve been meaning to write a story with his character for a while.Tagged explicit ahead of time, more tags will need to be added later.
Relationships: Dedue Molinaro/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 1
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies in advance I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop myself from making this as fluffy as possible but I intend to balance it with some post timeskip angst.

It was one of those days. Byleth let out a loud sniffle as she ducked into the greenhouse, one hand clutching the fabric above a chest suddenly filled with an aching tightness. Her feet sped past rows of plants until she reached a back corner where she sagged against a wall and let out a frustrated sound. 

Since arriving at the monastery, Byleth had found herself occupied every waking hour training and teaching and filling in the gaps in her own knowledge, a knowledge that seemed more deficient by the day. It was simpler just moving from town to town while clearing bandits from the roads as one day blended into the other, Jeralt at her side. Her father, however, was training with the Garreg Mach knights for the next two weeks a few hours north and two days in Byleth was— only a little bit— lonely.

Sniffling again, she pulled out a handkerchief and blew her nose, the mournful honk loud but not loud enough to mask the sound of a throat clearing and Byleth gasped and whirled to leave.

‘Professor, wait!’ A tall figure moved out of the shadows and she looked over her shoulder to see Dedue, his hands extended palms up as he stopped a few paces from her, a look of concern on his face. ‘Are you— ok, Professor?’

Byleth’s shoulders stiffened and she turned around, inwardly cursing her choice of refuge. It was hard to meet his earnestness head on and she settled for the top button of his shirt, gleaming like he’d just polished it.

‘I come here too.’ She looked at him, finally, and he continued. ‘When I miss my home this is where I go to find a little piece of it. Would you like to see it, Professor?’

‘Yes, I would like that very much— thank you, Dedue.’ He turned and led her to another corner of the greenhouse where he bent down to brush the leaves of a small plant with his fingertips. ‘This hardy little flower is common to Duscur but is impossible to find wild anywhere else. When I found out His Highness and I were to stay here I planted a seed in this greenhouse hoping it would take root and thrive. And with some care, it has.’

They stood side by side looking at the plant lit by moonlight, a single unfurled flower bud attached to it. Byleth felt a sense of peace settle over her and she made a silent promise to herself, that she too would take root and thrive no matter where she was.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluff and more fluff. Maybe some angst between the lines.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continuing to kind of fill in the blanks around their interactions— I feel like Dedue has a lot of potential subtext to his interactions, especially with Byleth. I can’t wait to get to the smut but I’m also pretty eager to write about the first time Byleth sees him smile.

Byleth had a lot to think about after the mock battle at Gronder Field. Each house had their strengths but everyone still had a ways to go when it came to experience. She wondered how that experience would serve them when everyone went their separate ways and whether the bonds established between the students would hold in an increasingly uncertain future. 

Shaking her head in an effort to clear her thoughts, Byleth set out for the greenhouse with a handful of seeds she had collected on the journey back from Gronder Field. There was the field of battle, and then there was what existed alongside— flowers. People. War had levels of proximity, of influence, and the Fódlan of here and now still echoed with the conflicts of the past. 

The greenhouse door creaked as Byleth slipped in and she saw a tall figure turn to look at her, a watering can in one large hand. 

‘Hello, Dedue.’ She had not expected to see anyone in the greenhouse at this hour on the weekend after battle. Most were eating lunch, training, or absent from the monastery grounds getting in some downtime before classes and skirmishes.

‘Professor.’ Dedue paused for a moment. ‘Did you— want something?’ 

Byleth raised an eyebrow and casually put her hand in her pocket letting her fingers uncurl from around the seeds. ‘Just looking at the flowers.’ Perhaps it was not the time for a bit of quiet in the greenhouse, she thought. This feeling— like she had interrupted something solemn and important— was heavy and awkward. ‘I’ll be off, now. See you at dinner?’

His brow knit a little. ‘I see.’ Looking down, he continued. ‘If you have time, please assist me in watering the flowers.’ 

‘Oh. Um—ok?’ Byleth blinked.

He was already handing her a watering can as he went on. ‘Thank you. And not the plant in the corner— its roots will rot if overwatered.’

‘The plant from Duscur, yes? It must be difficult, caring for it. The environment here is so different, though I imagine the greenhouse helps.’ She watched him tie back a vine, his large hands deft and gentle. 

‘Difficult? Perhaps. It is what makes them worthwhile, I feel.’ He stepped closer, his eyes fixed on hers and his expression inscrutable but somehow— softer than usual.

‘Professor, I— ‘ Dedue stopped and cleared his throat. ‘I owe you a debt of gratitude. Both on and off the battlefield you have supported His Highness and defended him. I wish to give you my sincerest thanks.’ 

_Oh_. She had wondered what his reasons were for asking her to stay and help him.And so many words in one go— Byleth was taken aback. ‘Um. Think nothing of it,’ she said, her cheeks reddening a little. 

He paused, his head turningaway as he began to busy himself with weeding. ‘To me, it is not nothing.’ 

Byleth thought about the history and closeness shared between Dedue and Dimitri as well as their scars. She supposed it was not nothing after all but she felt a growing responsibility she was not sure she loved very much. 

‘Was there something else you wanted, Professor?’

Introspection interrupted, she glanced at Dedue’s back before taking her leave with a muttered ‘I’ll go fetch the water.’ She wondered if Dimitri’s conversations with him were this awkward, or was he a tad warmer around his friend and prince? 

Setting off for the other side of the greenhouse Byleth did not notice Dedue look up to watch her leave, nor did she hear his sigh before he quietly said, ‘Then please, excuse me.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always thanks for following the story and I hope to get the next installment out a little faster than this one!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading and as always thanks for the comments you guys are awesome!


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